purpose Archives - Marissa Henley

Our Suffering Advances the Gospel {No Matter What Monday}

June 3, 2019 by Marissa 1 Comment

Have you ever wondered if there was a purpose to your pain? Knowing there’s a purpose behind our difficult circumstances doesn’t take away the sting of suffering, but it can give us a glimmer of encouragement and help us persevere.

This month, we’re looking at God’s purpose in suffering. Our goal isn’t to wrap up suffering in a neat package with a bow. There’s nothing pretty about pain. But in God’s kind sovereignty, He brings beauty from brokenness as He weaves our trials into the tapestry of His purposes.

In Philippians, Paul addresses friends who were upset about his imprisonment. These friends feared Paul’s imprisonment would end his travel and preaching. They may have worried that the entire Christian movement would fizzle out and die. But Paul reassured them that the gospel continued to go forth:

“I want you to know, brothers, that what has happened to me has really served to advance the gospel, so that it has become known throughout the whole imperial guard and to all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ. And most of the brothers, having become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment, are much more bold to speak the word without fear.” (Philippians 1:12-14)

Your suffering may look differently from Paul’s, but God will use it to advance the gospel. Maybe your suffering is private. No one else even knows. But as you grow in dependence on the Lord, you’re advancing the gospel in your own heart. If your suffering is known by your family or a small circle of friends, they can watch you run to the Lord with your pain and be encouraged to trust Him more.

Whether you’re encouraging thousands with your story or quietly walking in obedience each day, rest assured that in God’s economy, no suffering is wasted. Your trials are advancing the good news of God’s faithfulness, mercy, and grace.

No matter what we face this week, our suffering advances the gospel.

The Lord Will Bring Fruit from Your Suffering {No Matter What Monday}

July 10, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

A few summers ago, my kids helped their dad plant a garden. Among the tomato plants and varieties of lettuce (all of which they will not eat), they planted one of their favorites—a strawberry vine.

But here’s the thing about strawberry vines: they don’t produce fruit right away. Nothing in the first season. You might see fruit a year later, during the second season. And when you’re just five years old, waiting more than 20% of your lifetime for a piece of fruit you could buy at the store this afternoon—well, it seems a little crazy.

In James chapter 5, suffering is compared to planting a garden. It takes patience and endurance, and at times it seems fruitless. But the Lord has a purpose.

James 5:10-11: As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.

James says to take the Old Testament prophets as an example of patience in suffering. The lives of many of them, when taken at face value, look like dismal failures. Many of them were ridiculed, ostracized, or even killed. And yet, James says we consider them blessed. They had the privilege of suffering while proclaiming God’s Word and foretelling His promised Messiah. In their suffering, they put the Lord’s compassion and mercy on display.

James tells his readers they have already “seen the purpose of the Lord.” God has shown us the certainty of His compassion and mercy in our salvation. We can trust Him to bring beautiful fruit from our patient suffering.

No matter what you face this week, the Lord’s compassion and mercy are at work in your patient suffering.

There is Safety in Trusting the Shepherd {No Matter What Monday}

May 8, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

This week’s devotional is a guest post from Glenna Marshall. She’s one of my favorite writers, and I’d love for you to check out more of her writing over on her blog. She’s also just released her first album, Hold Fast, which is filled with beautiful music and biblical encouragement. We’re giving away a free digital download of her album on Instagram today–come check it out!

Of all the arguments I’ve had in my life, this one was a doozy.

I had jokingly attempted to play devil’s advocate with my friend, but it backfired when my pointed questions about life goals erupted into a full-blown fight about why she would achieve her goals NO MATTER WHAT.

I left the heated conversation wondering what I could have said differently about an obviously sore subject. I had only wanted to encourage her to keep her hands open.

In the past 13 years of infertility, illness, and broken dreams, I’ve learned to hold loosely to long term goals, so I worry when I see people I love white-knuckle their grip on a neatly planned future the way I did. The process of opening a tightly closed fist is a tough one, but sometimes God’s plans diverge starkly from our own. And that divine unclenching of our hands can be the course we need to walk in order to treasure Him more than any goal or accomplishment.

Though I’ve fought against the call to hold loosely many times, the truth is that my years of brokenness have turned up more joy and deep trust in the Lord than I could have ever drafted had I been the architect. Suffering and crushed hopes seem like the harder path. But Scripture teaches us that it is through suffering that we learn our Savior’s nearness and character. We may not understand His path, but there is safety in trusting the Shepherd. If God’s plans sometimes allow us to walk a shadowed valley, then we can see the gift of His rod and His staff, knowing with certainty that He is with us (Psalm 23).

No matter what you face this week, there is safety in trusting the Shepherd.Share

Our Suffering has a Glorious End {No Matter What Monday}

February 27, 2017 by Marissa Leave a Comment

Why do days filled with mundane tasks tick by so slowly, and vacation days fly by so fast? January and February feel like they will never end, and June just goes zipping by. Happy times seem like minutes compared to seasons of suffering that seem endless.

And yet, today’s verse takes a different view of time. In God’s timeline, our time of suffering slips by quickly, and our time of glory stretches without end.

“And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” (I Peter 5:10)

Peter says, “After you have suffered a little while . . .” Does this make you want to roll your eyes?! Or maybe scream at Peter that he has no idea what he’s talking about? Our suffering doesn’t feel temporary!

Peter understood that suffering sometimes seems endless, but he also understood the truth about the “God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ.” Here, Peter highlights the contrast between our temporary suffering and our eternal glory in Christ. Our present trials are like a gnat on the Mt. Everest of eternity with Christ.

As the verse promises, “God will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.” The Lord will bring this to an end—the outcome doesn’t depend on us. It’s a gift of His grace in Christ. He will restore us. He will confirm our position as His children. He will strengthen us by His mercy. He will establish us as heirs of His promises.

One of God’s purposes in our suffering is to point us to its glorious end. One day, He will turn evil on its head and our joy will be sweeter because of our pain. As Tim Keller says, “The evil that hurts us now will be the eventual servant of our joy and glory eternally.”

No matter what we face this week, there will be a glorious end to our suffering.